Maldives in 2003

On Sept. 25, 2003, Maldives’s 50-member Majlis (parliament) nominated, by a unanimous vote, Pres. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to seek reelection for a sixth consecutive five-year term. A public referendum on October 17 gave him overwhelming support. The voting was overshadowed, however, by riots in Male on September 19–21. These were triggered by the death of a prisoner (allegedly from being beaten by guards) at Maafushi prison on September 19 and a shooting incident the next day against prisoners who had attacked the guards and tried to break into the armory. The rioters in Male caused damage to public property and committed arson, but government security forces quickly brought the situation under control. Gayoom appointed a five-member commission to inquire into the custodial death and arrested 11 National Security Service personnel in connection with the incident.

On the economic front, the government pursued greater diversification and sought to develop the tourism, fisheries, and agricultural sectors. In the budget for 2003, the biggest outlays were for social development and the improvement of general services. During President Gayoom’s four-day visit to Sri Lanka in May, Maldives and Sri Lanka signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on tourism development through joint marketing and investment.